China set to surpass U.S. in PC purchases

China is set to surpass the US in personal computer shipments either this year or the next, according to market estimates by analysts. When that PC market line is crossed, it will be one more benchmark illustrating the increasing spending power of China's 1.3 billion people. But China's growing PC market will also matter to US companies, particularly Microsoft. More than 95% of Chinese PCs today run Windows, and well over 80% of enterprises PCs are using Microsoft Office, Stuart McKee, the national technology officer in Microsoft's public sector, told a House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing on high-tech growth policies. "China will soon be the largest PC market in the world," said McKee, in his testimony. But the piracy rate for the business software industry in China stands at about 80% "and is even higher for Microsoft products," he said. McKee urged the committee to develop a comprehensive strategy for dealing with piracy.